


To be a Mao

by Righteous_Flame



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Mention of Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22019470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Righteous_Flame/pseuds/Righteous_Flame
Summary: Mao Mao reads Adorabat a bedtime story. With heroes! And adventure! And gore, apparently.
Relationships: Adorabat & Mao Mao Mao
Comments: 5
Kudos: 47





	To be a Mao

It was well into the night in Pureheart, and all was dark in the sheriff's headquarters save for a faint light shining through the bedroom window. As Badgerclops slumbered atop the triple bunk bed, the other two residents shared the bottom bunk. The sheriff, dimly lit by candlelight, laid with his Hero's Handbook in one arm, and his little deputy comfortably snuggled in the other. He quietly read the open book to the child as she rested her head on his soft, pillowy fur.

"Oh you'll love this one, Adorabat. This was my Great-Great-Aunt Blackbeard!" Mao Mao said, pointing to a faded photograph. "She sailed the seven seas plundering booty and riches all over the world!"

"Isn't that stealing?" Adorabat asked.

"Well, yeah, but she only stole from the rich and corrupt, then gave to the poor and less-corrupt! Heroic stealing, you see."

"Oooohhh... Did she fight sea monsters?"

"Hah, of course! Here, look." He flipped the page. "This right here's the story of how she single-handedly took down a gigantic kraken! It tried to drag her whole ship down to the briny depths, but it was no match for her signature hammer and her luxurious facial hair!"

Adorabat let out a tiny gasp.

"Did she smash its big dumb face in?! Did she use the hammer to beat it 'til it was all mushy and gross?!" She asked excitedly.

"Well, I mean, probably. But that's not really-"

"I bet the kraken's eyeballs popped right out and splatted right on the deck of the ship! WHOOOOSH SPLAT!"

"Uh, well this was written a long time ago, so it's probably not that detailed-" He took a second glance at the book. "Oh wait, no it totally is. Says right here the eyeballs came flying straight out. Among... other things."

"Wooooooowwww" Adorabat stared in wonderment. "Tell me another story!"

"Heh, alright alright. Let's skip ahead a bit." He flipped through some more pages before settling on one. "Ah, Uncle Jim Jim! A fierce and noble warrior! Great at parties. He defended his clan against an entire army of invaders! There he was, staring down countless barbarians, armed with nothing but his trusty greatsword. They charged forward, but soon they would learn to fear the name _Jim Jim_! One by one he felled each invader! Clanging steel! Flashing blades-"

"Did he cut their heads off!?!"

"I- what?"

"He's got such a big sword, he must have chopped all their heads off no problem! SLASH, SWISH PSSSHHHHEEWWWWW! That's the sound of all the blood squirting out of their neck stumps!" She motioned her wings for extra emphasis.

"Well he... maybe? It doesn't really say here but, uh... sure. Lets say he chopped all their heads off. The battlefield was soaked with blood."

"Yesssssssss!"

"Ahem, alright, well... how about someone who DIDN'T use a weapon? Liiiiiiike Great-Great-Maternal-Grandfather Twig!" He flipped to the respective page, filled with old-looking ink drawings and symbols.

"No weapon?" The child whined. "That's boring! How could he fight monsters without a weapon?"

"Ohoho, you see, Twig was a master of one-on-one, hand-to-hand fisticuffs!" He said proudly. "There wasn't a single foe who could beat him in the ring of honor! Be it person or monster!"

"Really...?"

"Really! Using an ancient fighting style called Sumo, he stood as an immovable, unshakeable wall of flesh! With his massive girth, he could slam and crush any opponent beneath 500 pounds of justice!"

"That's amazing!" Adorabat gasped.

"He sure was! One of the greatest-"

"I bet he smooshed lots of bad guys into pancakes! Their bones would be all like CRUNCCCCHHH and then they'd be all like 'Oh no! I'm a dead pancake'!

"Um... actually I'm pretty sure Twig had a non-lethal polic-"

"Then their guts would come squirting out of their face! GOOOOSSSSHHH PBBBTHTHTHTH AAAARRRRGH GUTS EVERYWHERE!!!" She mimed with far too much amusement.

Mao Mao was about to correct her, but suddenly melted when he saw the joyful sparkle in her eyes.

"Yeah..." He sighed and smiled. "Yeah he squished their guts out. There was blood and guts everywhere. It was absolutely disgusting."

"Heeheeheehee!" She giggled.

"Heh... you sure love the gory details, don't ya?"

"It's my most favoritest part!" She said sweetly, kicking her stubby legs.

"That's... slightly worrying. But I like your enthusiasm!"

"One day I'm gonna be in that handbook!" Adorabat said decisively. "Legendary Hero Adorabat! Right after Legendary Hero Mao Mao!"

"Well, I'm sure you'll be legendary..." The sheriff assured. "But this book isn't for _all_ legendary heroes. Just the Mao clan, you see."

"Yeah! Like me!"

"...How do you mean?"

"Well, you're basically my dad, right?" The girl cocked her head. "Doesn't that make me part of the Mao family?"

Mao Mao paused, the gears turning and grinding in his head. Just the thought of anyone calling him 'dad' made his brain fizzle.

"Haha, what? No, of course- I mean I couldn't be your _dad_ , right? That's not me... is it?"

"Well you cook for me, you clean for me, you fly me to school, you tuck me in, you read me bedtime stories..." She counted on her wing, as if she had fingers. "Oh, and that one time you gave me a goodnight kiss on the forehead."

" _I thought for sure you were asleep for that..._ " He murmured to himself.

"Isn't that all dad stuff?" 

He could hardly deny it at this point. Even though he'd been caring for her for almost a year now, somehow the thought of her as his daughter, or himself as a father, never crossed his mind.

"Huh. You make a good point! S'cuse me for one second. _**HNNNNNNNNNGGGHHHH...!**_ " He quickly turned his head and bit into his gloved hand, attempting to stifle his delighted squeal.

_Me? I'm a dad??? I have a daughter??? Dad? Father? Papa? I'madadI'madadI'madadI'madadI'm-_

The sheriff's eyes darted back and forth as these thoughts swirled through his head. The prospect of being a father was as exciting as it was terrifying. After all, his own experience with dads has been... less than stellar. Still... maybe he could do better. He wanted to do better.

"Mao Mao?"

The sound of Adorabat's voice snapped him back into reality. He released his grip on his glove, now covered in teeth marks, and turned back towards her.

"Ahem, right! Right, sorry. I, uh... I guess you're right. I guess I am like your f-f-faaauuthhhh... your d-daaaaaahhhh..."

"My dad?" Adorabat finished.

"Y-yeah. Your dad." Mao Mao smiled bashfully, ashamed at his difficulty saying it himself.

"Does this mean I get to be in the book with you when I'm a hero?!" She beamed.

"Y-yeah..." He sniffed, tears welling in his emerald eyes. His lips quivered and his voice grew wobbly. "You're gonna be a legendary hero! And you're gonna do the Mao family proud!"

"Yay!!!" The child squealed, wrapping her wings around him. "You're the bestest dad ever! I love you, Mao Mao!"

At this point the sheriff completely failed to keep his composure, becoming overwhelmed with emotions. Good emotions this time!

_"Ieeahwuvyootooooo..."_ He blubbered, returning her hug.

**"Y'ALL."** A disgruntled voice shouted.

The two of them looked up to see an annoyed-looking Badgerclops peering down at them from the top bunk. Mao Mao quickly wiped away his tears in an attempt to save face.

"Like, I get it. You guys are having a father-daughter moment. Its very sweet. Very cute. Very happy for you. But it is _literally _one in the morning!" He said, pointing to the clock.__

__"I don't know if you know this," Badgerclops continued. "But I need A LOT of sleep to maintain my happy-go-lucky, comedy relief persona! So if you _don't mind_ , I'd like to get back to that."_ _

__"Sorry..." The cat and bat apologized in unison._ _

__"Hmph." The badger grunted as he retreated back to his bed._ _

__The two of them sat in silence for a moment before Adorabat quietly spoke up._ _

__"...Can I sleep with you tonight, Mao Mao?"_ _

__"Yeah, of course." He smiled, then blew out the candle on the nightstand._ _


End file.
